30 talented Yr 11 Art & Design students attended a successful workshop on  a trip to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the David Hockney Blockbuster Exhibition, "a Bigger Picture", part of the London 2012 cultural olympiad. Students went on Wednesday 7th March. They had a slideshow and discussion with Royal Academy Tutors, then viewed the Exhibition. Afterwards they had a Practical Painting Workshop, recording their responses to the Exhibition and discussion of Hockney's landscape painting techniques. Tickets are sold out and the gallery has been experiencing record visitor numbers, up to 10,000 per day.

Students commented on the colour, scale and range of the 70+ Yr olds work, especially the iPad drawings. At the end of the session, they were given a chance to try out the iPads for themselves. Requests are now being considered for an iPad in the Art Department!